


2 AM Wandering

by whattheskyknows



Series: Amasai Week 2020 [2]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Amasai Week 2020, I swear the tags make sense, M/M, Shuichi is investigating for a murder when he breaks his ankle, also mentions of a murder, he downplays it a little since he's trying to comfort Rantaro's sister, nothing too graphic but Shuichi does break his ankle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23298700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whattheskyknows/pseuds/whattheskyknows
Summary: It’s currently just a little past two in the morning and he’s in the woods with only a backpack and a torch.OrShuichi finds himself injured whilst doing some investigating. On the bright side, he does find someone who wants to be reunited with their brother.For the prompt Injury
Relationships: Amami Rantaro/Saihara Shuichi
Series: Amasai Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140761
Comments: 6
Kudos: 114





	2 AM Wandering

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in one sitting and I'm proud. 
> 
> There are some mentions of blood and a broken ankle. Nothing too graphic but I thought I should just put a disclaimer.

Sometimes Shuichi’s detective work has him wandering around the middle of nowhere at odd hours. It’s currently just a little past two in the morning and he’s in the woods with only a backpack and a torch. He also has his phone in his pocket but he forgot to charge it this morning and he only has enough battery for one short phone call. He figures he should just leave it off just in case something bad happens and turn it on if he needs to call for help. 

He passes a tree and runs his torch up and down it. There’s nothing odd about it and so he moves on, checking the wet ground as he goes. Since it’s raining, every time he takes a step his shoes become smothered with mud. It’s not exactly ideal but Shuichi can’t sleep and he figures that he might as well try and find some more evidence for a case he’s working on. 

It’s a sort of serious case. However, his uncle has recently been overwhelmed with cases at his office and Shuichi decided to step in and try to help. Sure, Shuichi also has his own set of cases to work on but he would never tell his uncle that. He adores his uncle. They live together in a small house five minutes away from the office they both work at. Whilst the house can sometimes get a little too cramped, it’s practical. 

Shuichi’s neighbour, who is a retired tennis player, also has cats that climb through the windows when Shuichi forgets to shut them. He doesn’t mind. Usually, he lets the cats watch him work until he spots his neighbour in their garden. They usually just give Shuichi a nod and wave at their cat before reading on their bench. 

He pulls his raincoat tighter against himself and tugs his hood over his head a little more firmly. Really, he did pick a pretty bad night to work. It’s just, sometimes he can’t sleep. He doesn’t like lying in bed for hours either. Shuichi thinks it’s a waste of time when he has so much work to do and so many people relying on him. 

His friend Maki would probably be upset with him if she found him outside. They both went to the same school together and ended up in the same class every year. They became fast friends after realising they were both as socially awkward as the other. Still, that changed when they met a guy called Kaito in their final year. He quickly took them both under his wing and now they all train together every weekend. 

Shuichi doesn’t want to worry his friends but sometimes he just gets too restless. He’s the type of person who feels more comfortable when they have lots of work to do. He tries to get everything done before any deadlines, which means he frequently pulls all nighters. Which, you know, isn’t that healthy but he’ll survive. As long as his coffee machine doesn’t break then he’s comfortable living the life he lives. 

He grabs a tree as his foot almost slips, his fingers pressing into the bark. Yeah, he really should’ve picked another night to investigate. Still, it’s a little too late to turn back now and what if some evidence gets lost before he can find it? 

Finding more stable ground, Shuichi continues. He figures he should be a little more scared since he is in some creepy woods in the early hours of the morning. However, he’s not actually the type to get scared easily. That’s Kaito, who hides behind Shuichi every time they watch scary films. It’s Maki who picks them and spends more time laughing at Kaito than actually watching the film. 

Shuichi only believes in facts. He knows that ghosts probably aren’t real so the chances of encountering one are super low. However, there is a chance he could run into something more dangerous. Something more real, like a killer on the loose. Or Kiyo, a guy who had sat next to him for a full year at school and had spent most of his lesson time playing with red rope under his desk. Now that was a strange year. 

Thankfully, Shuichi doesn’t run into any dangerous people or any Kiyos whilst exploring the woods. He’s currently looking for something like ripped cloth or just anything. He needs to find evidence for a murder case, which he’s rather uncomfortable taking on but he literally does not have the ability to say no. Sure, he can scream something along the lines of someone being wrong at the top of his lungs but no? Impossible. 

Maybe he’ll find the murder weapon, which the police said they couldn’t find. Perhaps it’s buried underground. That would be a problem because Shuichi hasn’t even brought a shovel with him. He could dig with his fingers but he doesn’t want them to fall off and the ground is much too muddy to be thinking about doing that. 

A particularly harsh gust of winds causes a couple of branches to knock together loudly. Shuichi turns around and shines his torch at them. There’s nothing actually on the branches, which is disappointing. He thought it was going to be one of those moments where he coincidentally finds something and then is able to get out of the rain. 

Instead, he sighs and turns back around and continues to force his way through the mud, which is now getting deeper. He almost loses his shoe and struggles to pull his leg out of a particularly chunky bit of mud. 

Shuichi sets his torch down and uses his hands to pull his leg. He should really be panicking because his foot is starting to sink deeper but at this point he’s more worried about losing his shoe. Which he does. He stumbles when he’s suddenly free from the mud and catches himself using a tree. He also grabs his torch before it rolls away.

Great. Now he’s lost his shoe. Money wise, this isn’t a problem because it’s not like he’s wearing anything expensive. However, this does mean that he probably should just go home now because he shouldn’t be exploring a forest with one shoe. Which sucks because he’s still wide awake. 

He’s adjusting the straps of his backpack when he swears he hears something rustle. He turns around and shines his torch deeper into the woods. He can’t see anything but he swears he heard something. 

A gust of wind knocks his hood and he wrestles with the weather just to pull it back up. Really, he should just go home.

But that rustle. What if it really was something?

Or someone?

“Hello?” Shuichi calls into the woods. He has a rather soft voice, meaning it doesn’t carry that far. Even if someone is nearby, they probably wouldn’t hear him. He shouts a little louder and takes a step forward. 

He has no idea how he doesn’t spot the hill that’s right next to him but he ends up tumbling down it, clutching his torch to his chest because there’s no way in hell he’s losing that right now. Shuichi feels like he’s falling for hours when he finally reaches the bottom. He rolls onto his back, thankful that the thick branches and orange leaves are protecting him a little from the rain. 

Yeah, maybe going out wasn’t such a good idea after all. His head is spinning and when he sits up, a sharp pain runs up his leg. He uses his torch to examine his legs and feet and winces. His right foot is bending completely in the wrong direction. Which, yeah, is a bit more than a small problem. He’s pretty sure that there’s something other than rain running down his face too but if he finds out he’s got a head wound as well as a broken ankle then he might actually start panicking. Shuichi decides to remain ignorant just for now. 

Now is a good time to turn on his phone. He puts his hand against his pocket. Then, against his other pocket, which is stupid because he knows his phone should be in the first pocket but right now it’s feeling suspiciously empty. 

“Shit…” He uses his torch to check the area and pushes his hands through the orange and yellow leaves. 

He spots his phone just a little ways away from him and bites down on the torch as he uses his arms to pull himself over to it. Uncomfortable but he’ll survive, even though there’s white hot pain boiling in his ankle.

Shuichi grabs his phone and turns it on. 

Then, he hears the rustling again. 

Whilst he’s waiting for the phone, he shines his torch around once more. It only takes him a couple of seconds to find the source of the rustling. 

There’s a young girl lying a couple of feet away from him and Shuichi quickly starts to panic because is she okay? He pulls himself over to her, careful not to drop his phone or the torch on the way. He’s thankful that Kaito makes him do push ups every weekend because right now, his arms are the only reason he can move right now. 

He sits down besides the girl and quickly checks her over. She’s small, maybe around half of his height. She’s wearing a muddy white hoodie, shorts and shoes. Her mint green hair is stuck to her face due to the rain. However, she doesn’t seem to be injured at first glance. She just seems to be very cold. 

Shuichi is already shrugging his coat off and putting it over the top half of her body when his phone screen lights up, indicating that his phone has finally turned on. He wants to kiss it when he figures that would probably be a waste of time. Instead, he quickly goes to his contacts and calls his uncle.

His uncle answers on the second ring and is rightfully worried.

“Shuichi? Where are you?”

“I was investigating those woods you mentioned,” Shuichi answers. “Couldn’t sleep so I figured I might as well do something. But that doesn’t matter now. Uncle, I found a girl and I think she needs help.”

“Is she breathing?” Shuichi’s uncle sounds like he’s jumping out of bed.

“Yes, but she’s really cold,” Shuichi explains. The rain is already soaking through his sweatshirt. “I’d move her somewhere more safe but I’m not sure if she has any serious injuries.”

“No, you’re right to leave her,” Shuichi’s uncle says. “Just make sure to keep her and yourself safe until I can find you both. Do you think you can describe where you are?”

“I fell down a hill,” Shuichi says and holds his head. “And, ah, I think my ankle is broken.”

“You think?”

“It’s like, bent the wrong way.”

“I swear kid…” His uncle sounds like he’s just gone through the front door. “Just sit tight. I have a good idea where you are. Just make sure you don’t hang u-”

And Shuichi’s phone cuts off.

“Great!” Shuichi shoves his phone back into his pocket because now it’s useless and he doesn’t want to break it. He really wants to throw it away in anger but the more rational part of him doesn’t let him. 

Instead, he focuses on the girl, who seems to be slowly waking up. Shuichi doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or not. 

She blinks when Shuichi shines the light back onto her, turning the torch down so he doesn’t hurt her eyes. 

“Uh, hi!” Shuichi squeaks because he has amazing speaking skills and he’s definitely great with children. “Uh…”

“Ran-chan? Is that you?”

“No,” Shuichi promptly answers and quickly regrets it when the girl’s face screws up. “I-I’m Shuichi Saihara! I’ve already called for help so, um, sit tight?”

“Where’s my brother?”

“He’s…” Shuichi tries to think. He shouldn’t lie but he doesn’t really want to panic this girl either. She’s already distressed enough as it is and he’s in too much pain to actually think straight. “He left a little while back to get help?”

The girl blinks. “Um, mister? You have blood on your face.”

Of course he does. He’s pretty sure he hit his head on something on the way down. “It’s...sauce.”

“Mister? You’re a really messy eater.”

“I’m sorry,” Shuichi responds because he really doesn’t know what to say. 

The girl seems more awake now. “My brother isn’t a messy eater. But my sisters are! He’s always telling me and my sisters to clean our faces after every meal. But at least we don’t get sauce on our forehead! Did your parents not teach you how to eat?”

“I guess not,” Shuichi says. His hair is getting more stuck to his head because of how wet it’s getting. He’s somewhat glad he tied it back because it's easier to adjust but he still feels uncomfortable. “Uh, help is on the way soon.”

“I think you said that already.”

“Probably.” Shuichi wants to lie down but right now, getting this girl to safety is his top priority. “So, ah, you’re not in any pain are you?”

“My leg hurts,” the girl admits. “But I’m not allowed to move, right? Last time I fell down a hill, my brother told me not to move so that’s what I’m doing!”

“Have you been waiting for your brother the entire time?”

The girl thinks. “I think so? We were in a bit of a rush today because my brother didn’t want us to stay in the woods for too long because he said something bad here happened recently! The woods are a shortcut for us though and we all didn’t want to take the long way home so our brother promised we could go this way if we stayed close to him!”

“Did you get lost?”

“I fell,” the girl says and her lip wobbles. “And I wanted to shout for my brother and sisters but I fell asleep!”

They must’ve not realised she had gotten lost for quite some time.

“Your family must be worried sick.”

“My brother is probably still looking for me!” The girl insists. “But he must be angry with me because he didn’t want us to be in these woods because the guy on the t.v. said there had been a mur...mer...mudd…”

He realises she’s trying to say murder. Which is true. However, he doesn’t want to worry her. 

“We’ll be able to leave soon,” Shuichi promises. “And then you’ll be able to see your brother again.”

“Really?”

“Y-Yeah.”

\---

Shuichi’s uncle arrives around twenty minutes later. Since he forgot to call an ambulance, he ends up having to help Shuichi and the girl back to his car himself. 

The girl isn’t as injured as Shuichi worried she was. She walks by Shuichi’s uncle and talks to him the entire time. Meanwhile, Shuichi clings to his uncle as they walk to the car, which is parked at the entrance of the woods. 

“You’re going to give this old man a heart attack one day,” his uncle says as he helps Shuichi into the back seat. 

Shuichi knows he’s joking but he still feels guilty.

“Hey! Don’t cry!” The girl demands, turning around in the front seat. “Usually, when I’m sad, my brother hugs me! I’ll make sure he gives you a hug when he finds us, okay?”

Shuichi nods, wiping his eyes. He doesn’t even know why he’s so upset. It could be because he feels so dizzy that he’s seconds away from falling in his seat. It could be because his ankle really, really hurts. It could be because he crept out of the house without his uncle’s permission. It could be because, he realises, that this girl might’ve not made it through the night on her own. Her brother might’ve stumbled across her dead rather than alive. 

He notices that his uncle is on the phone and he figures he’s most likely talking to police. When his uncle finally gets into the car, he flashes Shuichi and the girl a smile. 

“I’m under strict instructions to get you both to the hospital,” he says. “The doctors are going to look over you both. Your brother is going to meet us there.”

“Really?!” The girl claps her hands together. “Hooray!”

Shuichi zones out for most of the trip, leaning his head against the window and making it bloody. He counts the raindrops that race down the window, mentally picking which raindrops will win each time. He wins quite a few of the races, which you know, should make him happy but he currently isn’t feeling much. Maybe that’s because he’s cold, despite him wearing his uncle’s large coat. It’s swamping him. 

His uncle drives carefully, making sure to miss any potholes. Shuichi is grateful for this as every time his uncle accidentally does have to make an abrupt break or something, he hits his ankle against something and it just really hurts. Then again, it is his own fault. 

He doesn’t listen to his uncle and the girl talk. He knows they are both having a full blown conversation at this point. The girl seems to be excited about something and his uncle laughs every so often. Shuichi does miss his uncle giving him worried glances every so often in the mirror. 

Shuichi sort of wishes one of his friends was here right now. Like Maki or Kaito. Maki would probably tell him it’s his own fault for being hurt but he knows she would worry deep down. Even though Maki doesn’t like to show her emotions, she’s sort of an emotional person. Kaito would let Shuichi rest his head on his shoulder and talk to him the entire time. He’d probably talk about space, Shuichi thinks. Kaito loves space. That’s why he’s training to become an astronaut. 

Maybe Kaede would comfort him too? She’s his ex girlfriend, although despite them breaking up, they’re still really good friends. It was more of a mutual agreement so it’s not like it’s awkward between them. She’d probably tell him what music to listen to and find songs that would make him feel better. Maybe she’d hum for him too. Admittedly, her singing voice isn’t the best but she is pretty good at humming. 

They reach the hospital rather quickly. Shuichi’s current raindrop loses a race. He stares at it at the bottom of the window before the car door opens and his uncle is holding out his hand for Shuichi to take. 

There’s also a couple of doctors and nurses waiting for them. As well as that, Shuichi also spots a couple of police officers in the mix. 

His uncle leaves him in the care of a kind looking nurse, whose hair is covering half of her face. Shuichi watches him take the girl to the police officers and he figures that his uncle will be talking with them for a while. 

The nurse takes him inside and that’s where Shuichi really starts to zone out. He thinks he might’ve been put in a wheelchair but he also feels like he’s floating, so perhaps he’s on a stretcher. It’s not like he’s too fussed at the moment. He trusts that he’s in safe hands. 

When the fog in his head does start to disappear, he’s in a hospital room and his uncle is sitting on a chair next to the bed. He’s reading a newspaper, although Shuichi is pretty sure that the paper is a week old. 

“Are you finally with us?”

“I think so?”

His uncle takes that as a yes and pours him a cup of water. Shuichi takes it but sort of forgets to drink it. Instead, he’s most focused on the fact that he’s holding one of those plastic white cups that break really easily. Still, they’re fun to play with if things get really boring. 

“You had me worried,” his uncle says, leaning back in the chair. “What possessed you to explore the woods on your own in the middle of the morning? I even told you that they were dangerous to explore alone! We still haven’t found the murder suspect. What if you had ran into them?”

Shuichi bites his lip. “I’m sorry.”

His uncle at least takes pity on him and instead sighs instead of lecturing him anymore. “The nurse I spoke to said you can leave in the morning. They just want to keep you in overnight since it looks like you've hit your head pretty hard.”

“I didn’t realise,” Shuichi says and takes a sip of water. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, stop apologising,” his uncle reassures him. “At least something good came out of all of this. You did save that little girl, after all.”

“Is she okay?”

“Just a couple of bumps and bruises but she’ll be fine. They’re letting her go home as soon as she’s ready.”

Shuichi sees this as a win and leans back. At least the pillows here are comfortable. He feels a little bad because his hair is still sort of damp and he’s still wearing his muddy clothes so now the white hospital sheets are going to get messy. Still, he’s too tired to actually worry too much. He’ll just apologise in the morning. 

“I have a couple of things I need to sort out,” his uncle says. “Will you be okay for the rest of the night? I’ll pick you up as soon as I’ve got permission.”

“It’s fine,” Shuichi says and flashes him a small smile for reassurance. “Thank you for picking me up.”

“Hey, what sort of uncle would I be if I just left you on your own?” His uncle says with a laugh as he opens the door. “Oh? I didn’t expect to see you! Yeah, he’s awake. But not too long!”

Shuichi is wondering who his uncle is talking to when someone walks in the room, closing the door carefully behind them. The first thing Shuichi thinks is wow, this guy is really pretty. Then, he notices that they also have green hair and the girl he found has green hair and wait a second, this must be her brother. Her hot older brother. 

“It took me a while to find the right room,” the stranger admits, smiling awkwardly. Shuichi notices that they’re wearing a lot of rings. 

“I, um…”

“I just wanted to thank you for finding my sister,” they say, taking the seat Shuichi’s uncle had just gotten out of. “Man, I really let her down today.”

“She seems to really like you!” Shuichi says a touch too loudly. “Um, she talked about you a lot, that’s all.”

“She did?” The stranger blinks before smiling. “She’s so sweet.”

“S-She seems like a nice girl,” Shuichi agrees. “I’m glad that she’s okay.”

“I, just, thank you so much for finding her,” the stranger says. He runs a hand through his hair. “I know it was stupid of me to take the short cut but the weather was so bad and I didn’t want any of them to get sick. Hah! Look where that got me.”

“Hey…” Shuichi starts to frown. “Don’t blame yourself. Accidents do happen, you know? Things could’ve been a lot worse.”

“Yeah…” The stranger takes a deep breath. “You’re right. Things could’ve been a lot worse for her. But you? Are you okay?”

“I fell down a hill,” Shuichi admits. “Nothing too serious.”

The stranger raises an eyebrow. “Your foot is in a cast.”

“Um…” Truth be told, Shuichi didn’t even realise he was wearing a cast. He wiggles his foot from side to side. 

“I don’t know why you were in the woods but I’m glad you were,” the stranger says. “I just, if I had lost her for good…”

“You can’t keep beating yourself up over it,” Shuichi tells him. “They’re letting you take her home, right? That means no one thinks it was your fault. If the police thought you were a bad older brother then they wouldn’t let you.”

“Ah, they did question me a little,” the stranger admits. “But thankfully, all my other sisters told them the same thing so the police really did think I lost her by accident.”

“See!” Shuichi leans back a little more, trying to get comfortable. “Now stop the self loathing. That’s my job.”

The stranger lets out a surprised laugh. “You can’t just comfort me and then say something like that!”

Shuichi laughs too. “I suppose not.”

The stranger looks like they’re thinking before their eyes light up. “Hey, can I sign your cast? I have a pen in my bag.”

“Um, sure!”

The stranger kneels next to the bed as they write on Shuichi’s cast, their tongue sticking out the entire time. Once they’re done, they take a step backwards and nod proudly. 

Shuichi peers at his foot and opens and closes his mouth. “You, ah, have an interesting name?”

The stranger laughs even louder. “No! That’s my number! My actual name is Rantaro Amami. But please, just call me Rantaro. Things get confusing when people call me Amami.”

“Oh?” Rantaro wants him to call him by his first name? That’s a little embarrassing. He almost wants to hide his face in his hands. He’s pretty sure he’s already going red. “My name is, um, Shuichi Saihara. You can call me...Shuichi if you want?”

“Okay, Shu!”

Shuichi really does hide his face in his hands this time. 

Rantaro is grinning when Shuichi finally has the courage to remove his hands from his face. 

“Sorry! You just seem like the type who gets flustered easily!” Rantaro says.

“That’s because I am,” Shuichi tells him, rubbing his cheeks that are still warm. 

Rantaro smiles warmly at him as he leans back into the chair. “I swear I don’t tease people as soon as I meet them. It’s just, you looked like you needed cheering up.”

Shuichi nods. “Well I did sorta fall down a hill and break my ankle.”

“What were you even doing out in the woods anyway?”

“I was working on a case,” Shuichi says. “But I can’t actually say too much because it’s private information.”

“Oh, I see,” Rantaro says. He looks rather impressed. “You must be really smart!”

“Not really?” Shuichi doesn’t like to big himself up. He clears his throat. “I am an apprentice detective. Do you know Kyoko Kirigiri? She took me in after my uncle recommended her to me. I’m actually sort of honoured.”

“You work with Kirigiri?” Rantaro’s eyes go wide. “Now that really is amazing! She’s one of the most famous detectives in Japan!”

“She’s also really nice,” Shuichi explains. “She looks intimidating but we actually drink tea together quite a lot. Never in a million years did I think I’d be friends with her.”

“Then you must be really smart,” Rantaro insists. “Be proud of yourself!”

Shuichi’s first impulse is to respond with a no but he doesn’t want to sound too self deprecating, although he is a really self deprecating person. Instead, he smiles awkwardly and fumbles with the plastic cup in his hands, finishing the last of its contents rather quickly. He’s surprised how thirsty he is right now. 

His hospital door opens again and Rantaro’s little sister and a nurse step inside. The sister squeals and dashes for Rantaro whilst the nurse heads over to Shuichi.

“How’s it going?” The nurse asks. She seems friendly enough, although she does have some bags under her eyes. She must’ve been working for a long time. 

“My head still hurts but I think I’ll be okay.”

“Your head hurts?” Rantaro asks. “You should’ve just told me to shut up when I started to talk!”

“I-It’s fine! You have a nice voice anyway!” Shuichi says before realising what he’s just said. He’s glad he’s no longer holding the plastic cup because he probably would’ve dropped it right now. 

“I’m glad,” Rantaro says, standing up. “Well, I think it’s time I got my sister home. Everyone must be worried sick.”

Rantaro’s sister, however, tugs on Rantaro’s arm. “Did you give him a hug better? Your hugs always make everything better!”

“Ah, it’s a little different in this sort of situation!” Rantaro laughs, turning his head away as the nurse fondly rolls her eyes. 

“Eh?!” His sister’s face drops. “You’re just not going to make him feel better?!”

“Fine, fine! Only if he wants one though,” Rantaro says, turning around. “Is this okay with you, Shuichi?”

It’s more than okay. Shuichi nods and Rantaro very carefully wraps his arms around him and Shuichi can’t help but bury his face in Rantaro’s shoulder. He has a comforting smell to him, like home. He closes his eyes and allows himself to enjoy the warmth of a hug. He almost wants to cry but he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to look pathetic in front of someone so nice. It’s just, he can’t remember the last time someone has hugged him like this. Kaito usually hugs him a lot but they’re brief. Maki doesn’t even do hugs and it’s still sort of awkward to hug Kaede so he doesn’t. So, Shuichi hugs back, wrapping his arms and squeezing. 

Maybe Rantaro can sense Shuichi needs this because he hugs a little longer than expected. Shuichi feels a little disappointed when Rantaro pulls away. On the other hand, Rantaro’s sister is wearing the biggest smile on her face so Shuichi can’t feel too sad. 

“There! Now you’re better!” Rantaro’s sister declares. “Isn’t my brother amazing?”

“Yeah,” Shuichi agrees. 

“Now, now,” Rantaro warns whilst ruffling his sister’s hair. “I really do need to get you home now.”

“Okay!”

Rantaro pauses when he reaches the hospital doors. “Hey Shuichi? I didn’t put my number on your cast as a joke by the way. I would really like it if you called or text, yeah? You seem like an interesting guy and, you know, I'd really like to take you out somewhere. As a thanks!”

Shuichi nods. “That would be really nice. Yeah… I’ll message you when I’m free next.”

“Great!” Rantaro waves at him at the nurse. “I hope you feel better soon! I’ll be waiting for your message!”

It’s when Rantaro closes the door that Shuichi realises that he has it bad for him, even though he’s only talked to Rantaro for twenty minutes at most. He groans and the nurse laughs at him.

**Author's Note:**

> Shuichi proceeds to message him the next morning and they go for a date and all of Rantaro's sisters cheer for them :)


End file.
